St. Paul, MN – Chanting, “Hey Pawlenty here’s the fix: Tax the rich, tax the rich,” more than 50 people rallied in front of the Governor’s Mansion here, June 30 to slam Governor Pawlenty’s plan to cut hundreds of millions from health care, education, local government aid and human services. The protest was organized by the Welfare Rights Committee and backed by the Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout.

Starting July 1, Pawlenty stated that he will ‘unallot’ money from the state budget. Many observers believe this move is illegal. Deb Konechne of the Welfare Rights Committee stated, “Pawlenty has declared himself dictator. He is abusing a process that was intended for emergencies, not for a politician’s political gain. While Pawlenty has his eyes on national ambitions, he intends to leave a destroyed Minnesota in his wake. Pawlenty is butchering programs that working people and poor families need now more than ever because the recession. Then he lets the rich get by without so much as a scratch!”

Tasha Jackson, a member of the Welfare Rights Committee stated, “It is clear that Governor Pawlenty has declared a war on the people of Minnesota. While he slashes billions from poor and working people, the rich are not paying one dime for the state budget crisis.”

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